Combined strawberry-vine cutter and cultivator



(No Model.)

G. W. LOVE;

COMBINED STRAWBERRY VINE CUTTER AND OULTIVATOR. No. 396,098. Patented-Jan. 15, 18 89.

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE TV. LOVE, OF GRAYLIN G, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED STRAWBERRY-VINE CUTTER AND CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,098, dated January 15, 1889.

$erial No. 267,995. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE XV. LOVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grayling,

in the county of Crawford and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Strawberry Runner Cutter and Cultivator; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting the runners of strawberry-vines and cultivating the same.

The object of my invention is to construct a machine for cutting the runners of strawberry-vines, that the runners on both sides of a row of plants may be cut at the same time; that the machine may be readily adjusted to the various widths of the rows of plants, and also to cultivate the soil on both sides or between the rows as the runners are out from the vines.

The invention consists of a suitable twopart frame which is adj ustably connected by means of right and left hand screws. Each of the parts of the frame is provided with a shaft carrying a transporting wheel and drive-pinion, which pinion meshes with a smaller pinion on a shaft journaled in the frame and carrying at one end a crank-arm with pitman connect-ing said arm to a doubleedged cutting-blade, said cutting-blade having its rear end pivoted to a forked metal knife or cutting-blade secured by bolts to the inner face of the rail of the frame. The lower pointed end of the forked plate is adapted to raise the runners from the ground as the machine advances, while the free end of the double-edged cutting-blade will be reciprooated by the crank-arm and pitman and sever the runners from the vines. Jonrnaled to the rear end of the two-part frame are two small frames carrying a series of depending teeth, which enter the soil on both sides of the row and act as cultivators. Suitable handles are attached to the inner faces of the rails of the frame, by which the machine may be guided, and is to be drawn by one or more horses, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan of the complete machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, 011 dotted line x 50 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the rails forming the two-part frame. D shows two rods having right and left hand screw-threads, the ends of which enter the inner edges of the rails A at or near each end, and by revolving said rods the frame of the machine may be expanded or contracted to suit the varying widths of the rows of plants. (See Fig. 1.)

TV represents the transporting wheels, which are secured rigidly to the outer ends of the shafts F. Said shafts are journaled in suitable boxes in the rails A of the frame, and carry at their centers and within the opening 0 of said rails A the drive-pinions P. Said pinion P meshes with a smaller pinion, P, mounted on the shaft 07., which shaft is also j ournaled in suitable boxes in the frame and carries at its inner end the crank-arm o, having a wrist-pin, c, to which one end of the pitman 6 is attached, the other end of said pitman being pivotally attached by means of 1 the pin e to the double-edged cutting-blade H at or near its center. The rear end of the blade H is pivotally attached by the bolt -r to the rear lower portion of the forked metal plate H. Said plate H is secured to the in ner edges of the rails A of the frame, and has a guide and strengthening strap or brace 71, which extends across the opening or slotted portion of the plate H, having its ends secured thereto by screws or bolts, as t, whereby said strap 71 forms a brace or support for the lower portion, Z, of said plate H, and also a guide for the cutting-blade H, preventing it from drawing away from the forked or cutting edges Z Z of the plate H, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

B B represent two frames, having secured to their main rails by means of nuts 5- the series of downwardly-projecting teeth t. One end of each rail 9 of the frame Bis journaled in the rear end of the rail A of tho frame, as shown by dotted linos in Fig". 11, and, i f shows a brace-rod extending from the othor or outer end of the rail ot the t'ranio l; to the forward end 013' tho rail A of the lfraino, its end entering holos 't'orinod Yortioally in said rails.

The ohjoot o1? journaling t'ho drags or harrows B to the main 't'raino A and att'aohing the rodsf tluj roto, as spooilied, is to impart to the harrows a vibrating inoti m as tho tjoeth pass through the soil, the rod. /aoting as a springand serving to support tho troo or o'utor l ends of the harrow't'ranios. (Hoo Fig. 1.)

(l roprosont two handlos or arms having" their forward onds attaohod to tho I'm-ward portion of tho rails A of tho l'raino, thoii' roar or handlod onds oxt'onding haul; on an inolino, and may ho :idjusted to suit tho hoio'ht of the operator h passing tho soro\\'-o o (t through said handlo and ono on? tho soris of holes (1 of tho upright I.) oi? tho l'ranio A.

It will ho ohsorvod from tho l'oroe'oingoon struotion of parts that as tho inaohino is ad- Yanood ovor a row of strawhorryplants tho transporting-wl\ools W, drivingtho pinion l, which inoshos with the pinion I will oauso said pinion to rovolx'o, and by tho til'illlli fll'lll and pitnian o, oonnoot'ing' tho shal't n of tho pinion l with tho dou'hlwot'lgod outtinwhlado 1 11, said 'hlado will ho oausod to l'ooiprooat'o i across the forked. portion of the plate ll, and as hoth odgos of tho 'lior'k ot' the plat'o ll aro cutting-edges tho runi'iors of tho plants, whioh enter said .t'ork oithor ahovo or holow tho outting-blade II, will. by tho hlado 1i and outtiug-edgos Z Z olf tho I'orkod pla't'o ll ho sovorod t'roni thoir Yinos or plants, and tho drags or hat-rows attaohod to tho roar of tho 1 inaohino sot-Yo to onltivato tho soil on hoth sides of tl1oro\\',a1ul also to gathor up tho out woods and runnors.

\Vhon transporting tho machine froni1tlaoo to plaoo, if tlosirod, tho onds ot? thorodsj may he disono'a 'od from tho rails r ol the l'ranios l3, whon tho hat-rows maybe swung up to pre vent tho tooth lroin ont'oring the soil, and may he hold in suoh position (whioh position not shown) hy hooking tho hont' portions (not shown) of tho rods /o\'or tho upporrails oi tho t'ranios l3.

llaving'thus l'ull sot lorth my invontion, what I olaiin as now, and dosiro to soouro by illot't'ors :latont, is

11. l'n oonihination with tho 't'ranio 1\,tho transportingwhool, tho stationaiw' l'orkod outting-hlado ll, tho douiile-odgod cuttinghlado ll, tho pinions and intoi'nualiato parts ooupling tho 'pinions to tho (louitlo-otlgod outting-hlado, and handlos attaohod to tho rails ot' tho two-part i'ranio, as and I'or tho purposos spooitiod.

2. in a dorioo t'or tho purposos spooitiod, tho oonihination of tho l'rainos A, tho rods l) for adjusting said l'ranios, tho transportingwhools, tho pinions inountod on said tranios, the ,i'orkod outting-hlados ll, the doubleodgod outt ing-hlados ll, tho 'llltCllttlllSlll coupling thohlados ll to tho pinions l, tho culti- Yators attaohod to tho l'raino A, and ln'tndlos for guiding tho inaohino, as and t'ortho1. urposos spooitiml.

In tostiniony whoroot l allix my signature in prosonoo ol two witnossos.

W it nossos:

t). J. HELL. itnrwn A. linen. 

